The Dangers of Gotham
by tahitiliz
Summary: Diana attends a charity event in Gotham, unaware one charming billionaire playboy is also on the guest list.


**Greetings from tahitiliz! **

**Thank you for your interest in my first story. I have been a reader for years but have never taken pen to paper. I read a prompt on another website about either Diana or Bruce becoming drunk and the other having to take him/her home. This storyline nipped me and before I knew it I had written a story over 5,000 words long. **

**The story is somewhat of an AU - it takes place after This Little Piggy and I may have left out or added some of the events that follow that episode.**

**I know it has its flaws and so I would really appreciate any constructive criticism regarding my characterization, format, grammar, etc.****Thanks again for reading and I hope you enjoy it!**

**Disclaimer: No profit is being made from this story and I do not own the characters.**

* * *

It was unusually warm for March.

Despite the darkness that had overcome Gotham, the air was still soft with the heat of the day. People ambled in the infancy of the evening, going home from work or walking their dogs on the now placid streets. Yet, like clockwork, as the night ripened people would take to the safety of their homes and the unsavory citizens of the city would infect the alleyways like an epidemic.

However for many tonight was not the night to dwell on the dangers of Gotham. After all, the National Coalition for Women's Defense was hosting its annual gala in Gotham this year and was happily awaiting the arrival of countless celebrities to promote the cause of helping domestic violence victims get back on their feet.

Diana touched down just across the street from the downtown event center. The twelve-storey building soared in front of her, lit with glistening lights that beckoned attendees with an inviting sophistication. She was thankfully undetected by the paparazzi lining the red carpet, ravenously devouring every approaching guest with an explosion of camera lights and questions.

Diana sighed inwardly._ Hera_,_ of all places, it had to be Gotham._

She bent over to put on her navy blue stilettos that she had been carrying on her barefoot flight over. As she set the first leg down for balance and slid the second shoe on, she gave a quick thanks to the gods for her balance. A six-foot tall woman toppling over would surely catch the uninvited attention and snapshots of the nearby photographers.

She stood up and smoothed out the imaginary wrinkles in her midnight blue floor length one-shoulder Charmeuse gown. It rustled lightly as she ran her hands over her hips and questioned for the sixth time if the slit that ran up the side of dress to her mid-thigh was distasteful for a charity event.

Furrowing her eyebrows, she recalled turning her closet inside out the night before as Shayera looked on from her seat on the couch, sipping a glass of Chardonnay with an amused smile on her lips. As Diana worriedly examined the chosen dress, Shayera interjected,

"Diana, it's sexy, not slutty. I wouldn't have let you buy it in the first place if it made you look like a whore."

She made a mental note of her friend's reassurance as she double-checked her clutch for her mirror. Satisfied with her appearance and threading a hand one last time through her dark tresses, Diana crossed the street, careful to avoid the most recent slew of limousines depositing VIPs on to the red carpet. As she rounded the back of one black stretch Hummer, she prepared herself for her loss of anonymity. As soon as that thought skirted across Diana's brain, she heard the all too familiar onslaught of questions from the crowd.

"Wonder Woman, are you here alone tonight?"

"Wonder Woman, how did you hide your lasso in that dress?"

"Wonder Woman, do you deny that you are pregnant with Superman's baby?"

Although she outwardly ignored them, Diana strode to the doors with an upward quirk on her lips. She couldn't help but find the questions completely ridiculous and amusing at the same time. Two years ago she would have been offended that there were reporters staked out at a charity event to get juicy gossip that would sell the next tabloid headlines, but like many things she was able to accept the situation as just another part of Man's World.

Diana smiled hello as she passed the greeters at the door and couldn't help but laugh softly when she heard one's professional façade falter as he breathed excitedly,

"Dude, that was _Wonder Woman!_"

As she entered the grand hall, Diana took in the extravagant decorations and the dining tables decked with ornate flower arrangements. The room had high ceilings and was adorned in lavish tones of white and gold, surely meant to inspire the attendees with elegance and affluence and to encourage them to be a little less tight with their pocketbooks tonight.

It wasn't until four seconds after she began scanning the room for anyone she might know that Diana chided herself. It wasn't as if _Wonder Woman_ ever had any problems finding people to talk to. In fact, she always had to make some polite excuse to some overenthusiastic conversationalist to leave by a decent hour. She knew exactly who she was looking for.

And she felt her stomach twist when she realized he wasn't there.

Instead of acknowledging the disappointment bubbling within her throat, Diana told herself she shouldn't be surprised. Things hadn't been the same since the night she had run around the city as a pig.

Bruce had been unusually distant since that evening. Of course, she knew he was never the first in line to call a Founder's Meeting or hang around the Watchtower for fun but Diana sensed there were other circumstances keeping him away. Four months was a long time to hear nothing from someone, even Batman.

She shook her wayward thoughts of the Dark Knight and reminded herself she wasn't there on a social outing - she was there to lend her celebrity to the charity. As she descended the stairs into the crowd, she smiled politely and readied herself for a pleasant evening chatting with the guests.

* * *

Diana was too far in the depths of the crowded building to hear the commotion that followed shortly after her entrance on the red carpet. Always a favorite among the paparazzi, the ever-charismatic Bruce Wayne stepped out of his silver Ferrari F430 in all his tuxedoed glory with a redhead clad in an offensively short purple dress.

As the photographers shouted questions at the CEO of Wayne Enterprises, Bruce slunk his arm around his date with a sly grin and pulled her close to pose for the eager reporters. Once or twice he offered a charming retort to one of their inquisitions, all the while looking absolutely hungry for the attractive woman pressed against him.

Pleased that he would now be on the front page of every magazine within a hundred-mile radius tomorrow morning, Bruce strolled inside the building with his date and ignored the stares of other guests who clearly believed charity events were not meant for such frank publicity stunts.

It wasn't long after Bruce entered the grand hall that he wondered if the redhead next him - _Brittany, was it?_ – would ever stop chattering away.

"What is this charity for, anyway?" She chirped and tightened her grip on his arm. She glanced up at him with contrived innocence in her eyes. "And how long do we _have_ to stay, Bruce? I'd rather go find something fun to do... With just the two of us." Her ruby lips curled up slightly and her green eyes drifted down to his lips, implying what other things she had in mind.

Not to be outdone, Bruce leered down at her.

"Just long enough so that I can make a few good impressions," _and wait until you've had enough to drink for me to send you home,_ he mused as Brittany turned her gaze back to the crowd.

"Oh my God," she squealed suddenly, causing Bruce to wince, "did you know Wonder Woman would be here? I've only seen her on TV. She looks taller in person. Do you know her?"

"We've met once or twice." Bruce replied curtly.

It didn't take his eyes long to find the Amazon Princess in the swarm of guests. Everyone seemed to be trying not to gawk at the remarkable heroine in their midst. To her credit, Diana showed no recognition of this public flattery. She kept her focus on her conversation with an older gentleman and not the stares of those around her. If Bruce hadn't known better, all the attention focused on Wonder Woman would have given his popularity a run for his money that night.

Of course he knew she would be here. If Bruce was honest with himself, this was why it was so convenient to make an appearance at this gala. Most of the time Bruce Wayne's public appearances were as tedious as they were necessary. This was one of the few times they offered some other, more appealing purpose.

_Or more attractive_. A voice murmured in the back his mind as he watched Diana.

Being back in her presence reminded him of why he had distanced himself from the League. Their run-in with Circe months ago had compelled Bruce to confront some feelings he did not like to admit. When Diana was turned into a pig, he became dangerously more concerned than a good friend should.

He became scared.

All the tools in his belt, his intelligence, hell, his physical strength seemed useless as he scrambled to help Diana. Jesus, he _sang_ for her. In public, for God's sake. But in retrospect, he wasn't thinking about the possible consequences of his actions. In retrospect, Bruce knew he would have done anything to get Diana her life back.

He was getting too close. If he cared too much, it didn't matter if they were together or not. His enemies could still use his emotions against him. It was this realization that he shut off his connection with the League. Nothing could get in the way of Bruce's mission. Nothing _would_ get in the way of the mission, he decided that long ago. To keep this promise he needed to forget Diana and move on.

But as he watched her he knew it didn't help that he still thought about her every day and still dreamt of her lying in his arms every night.

"-a champagne, Bruce?"

"Hm?" Bruce looked down at Brittany's gaze. She pouted her lips and gave him a look.

"I said, don't you want champagne? I think I need to start drinking or I won't survive this." She breathed out in exasperation and tilted her head back as if she was already dying from boredom.

Bruce chuckled. Of course she was.

"Absolutely," he said, took her hand, and made his way toward the bar.

* * *

"Yes, thank you. It was quite an accomplishment to get the embassy up and running on such short notice but there were some incredibly dedicated people working-"

Diana stopped talking as she saw her audience's attention was diverted.

"Pardon me, Wonder Woman." The graying man apologized after a short moment of distraction. "Bruce Wayne always stirs up some kind of hubbub whenever he enters the room." He smiled briefly. "Now, tell me what it's like to work with Batman. He's a local superstar, you know."

Diana's heart stuttered with the informal announcement of Bruce Wayne. She did not dignify his public reputation by glancing over her shoulder to take a look at him but noticed how flushed her body suddenly felt. She did her best to restore her attention to the ironic turn of the conversation.

"Batman has always been a loyal member of the League. He's indispensable." She stated sincerely.

The man nodded tightly as Diana took a sip out of her champagne flute.

"You don't find his demeanor repelling?" He asked with a slight chuckle. "The way he jumps about rooftops and scares the criminals make me think he has a sadistic pleasure for intimidating people."

"When you are in my line of work, Mr. Johnson, you learn to work with a… diverse array of people." Diana laughed gently. "No one's perfect."

"No one's perfect, Wonder Woman? I find that hard to believe."

She felt the pit of her stomach roll as Bruce Wayne's smooth voice hummed behind her. She turned around to the sight of the tall, dark, handsome and disgustingly charming billionaire behind her.

"Anyone who has ever laid eyes on you would agree with me that that statement is completely wrong." His trademark playboy grin burst across his face and he did not hide the way his gaze sparked with desire as he ran his eyes up and down her body.

Diana repelled a shiver.

He stepped forward slightly, grin still intact, and extended his hand.

"Bruce Wayne. I think we met before, in-"

"-In Paris. Yes, Mr. Wayne, it's a pleasure to see you again." Diana said coolly as she offered her hand for a shake. He took it and immediately flipped it over to press a kiss to the back of it. She wondered if he could feel the sudden heat radiating from her arm.

"And may I ask how you've found yourself here?" She made sure to keep her tone light, betraying no more familiarity than two brief introductions.

"Of course, I always find it important to raise awareness for domestic violence. It's a terrible crime." His eyes did not leave hers as his thumb began to make small circles on the back of her hand.

"I completely agree. Thank you for your support." As she began to turn back to Mr. Johnson and retract her arm she was stopped by Bruce's same warm grip, now on her wrist.

"I hope we'll be seeing more of each other, Wonder Woman."

Diana shifted back to her previous stance. She glanced at where they were joined and then up to Bruce's eyes. As their gaze met, she wondered if it was still the playboy talking, or if there was something else deep in his expression.

"I'm sure we will, Mr. Wayne." She responded with some hesitancy, unsure how she should categorize his last statement. She shifted her gaze to a redhead next to him, looking none too pleased at the exchange between them.

_Probably another woman prancing through his life_, she thought at once.

The tender feelings stirred up by their closeness and his ambiguous warmth were immediately quelled when Diana remembered the reports of Bruce Wayne and his escapades with models, actresses and anyone else willing to lift up her skirt to further her career. In the back of her mind, Diana knew tabloids would say anything but couldn't help feeling a twinge of disappointment to see living evidence supporting the notion that women were expendable to him.

Diana pulled away with finality. She had her own reputation to worry about. Wonder Woman was too dignified to give Gotham's Casanova the time of day, let alone strike up a conversation. As she turned away she mentally affirmed,

_There's no reason for me to want to stay with him._

* * *

Unsurprisingly, there was no shortage of people who wanted to speak with Diana throughout the evening. Normally this public appreciation would put Diana in a pleasant mood. Yet as she wound her way through the mass of guests she realized something was off, something was bothering her. She felt naked and weakened - there was a churning in the lowest part of her stomach and her nerves could not be placated.

Diana was so anxious about being anxious that she lost track of exactly how many flutes of champagne she went through. If there was ever a pause or awkward conversation with one of the guests, it only made sense to drink. When her voice grew scratchy from regaling her story about her most recent run-in with Mongul, it only made sense to drink.

When she met Bruce's mesmerizing stare from across the room, it only made sense to drink.

By the third time the latter occurrence happened, Diana was feeling a strange sensation of looseness.

The circumstances of the evening only aggravated her newfound liberation. Every time Diana saw Brittany entwine her fingers into Bruce's or saw him lean in to say something to the redhead, Diana felt the cool glass of the flute against her mouth just before the bubbly liquid slid down her throat again.

By the time the keynote address and dinner began, Diana was thankful she was done conversing and finally seated at a table. Standing was becoming not only a chore but slightly difficult. The relief was short-lived when she realized she was sitting with the organization's founder, president and the principal donor of the evening - Bruce Wayne. This seating arrangement did not motivate her to stop drinking. Every once and a while, Brittany would whisper in Bruce's ear or giggle in an infuriatingly pathetic attempt at flirting. Diana's souring mood was worsened by the fact that both Brittany and Bruce's hands were under the table for almost the entire keynote address.

All things considered, Diana had no reservations about continuing to drink.

She knew Bruce was keeping an eye on her which didn't help. The more champagne Diana downed the more she wanted to show Bruce she didn't need him in any way, shape or form. If anything, his concealed attention was intensifying her thirst.

When the ceremony ended and people began to get up from their tables and make their way to the doors, Diana vaguely concluded that was what she was supposed to do as well. She put her weight on her feet and began to rise until she felt a gentle but firm hand on her shoulder, preventing her from standing up.

She didn't need to look up to know who it was.

"Mis-ter Wayne. So good to shee you again." She smiled sweetly up at him.

"Wonder Woman, I noticed you've been keeping the bartender on his toes." Bruce said with a smile. If Diana had been less saturated with champagne she would have also caught the hidden concern in his behavior. He leaned over to keep their conversation as private as possible amid the room full of people.

Diana cursed herself that she was still able to notice how striking his blue eyes were.

She waved a hand. Unfortunately it looked like more of a dead fish flailing about. "It's FINE. I'm just… I'm just gon' fly home. To the Watchtower. That's home. But you donno that." She heaved a sigh.

"I don't think you're in any shape to fly right now. Let me-"

Bruce abruptly straightened and turned around. From behind his back, Diana saw Brittany in front of him. Before she thought to do something about the nauseating redhead's presence, the woman began shrieking at Bruce.

"You're taking _her_ home? You came here with _me_." Her voice could peel paint off a wall. "I wanted to be with you tonight."

"I'm sure one of my business connections has League ties. Look at her. She's completely gone. You think I would do anything with her? I don't mess around with drunk women." His voice honeyed over. "You know it's you I want."

"Bullshit. I know what you do with women, no matter what state they're in. I've heard it all, Bruce. You brought me to this boring party for arm candy, kept me here all night and now you're taking another woman home? You're such a horny bastard!"

Diana heard the quick clicking of her heels until they mingled with the pulsing hum of the room. She leaned back in her chair and closed her eyes, trying to fight off a new wave of exhaustion. However her rest was short lived - the next thing she knew someone was leaning over her.

"Diana."

"Hmmh."

"Open your eyes."

Bruce's face was inches away from hers to ensure the confidentiality of the conversation. Diana consciously realized how much she wanted to lean in and brush her lips against his or trace her hands over his firm jaw line. She would do anything to have his skin beneath her fingertips. Her breathing began to become quickened and shallower. She felt as if the champagne turned into a warm pool of liquid in the bottom of her stomach and was spreading down, down, down.

"You're coming to the manor with me. You need to walk with me to the car. Do you understand?" He stared directly into her eyes to stress the importance of this task.

"I'm just so tired." Her voice wobbled.

"You can sleep soon. But we need to walk."

The next thing Diana knew, she was hauled onto her feet. When she felt Bruce's arm securely over her waist, she smiled with half-closed eyes, leaned against him and inhaled deeply. She would never get tired of his oaky scent. He began to walk, steadying her with one arm.

He led her down a hall to two inconspicuous back doors. As much as Bruce loved the sexiness of high heels on a woman, he cursed Diana's for intensifying her awful balance. Although the upside was that she was nearly draped over him by the time they got to the waiting limo. Upon seeing Bruce's devoted butler, Diana perked up.

"Al-fred." She said with fondness and reached out to put a hand on his cheek. Unfortunately for the Englishman, the delivery of the motion was more like a slap.

"Hello, Miss Diana. Enjoying your evening?" The butler showed no sign of certain pain as he opened the door for Bruce to deposit her on the seat.

"Oh yes." She replied and openly appraised the man holding her up. "Bruce is taking me home." She giggled slightly.

"Probably for the best, Madam." Bruce climbed in next to Diana and gave Alfred a look before he pulled the door shut.

As soon as the door closed, Diana scooted next to Bruce and laid her head on his top of his left shoulder, breathing heavily. As her chest rose up and down, Bruce noticed the neckline of her dress was beginning to droop in a revealing way from the wear of the evening.

Not that he was complaining.

"Patrol tonight?" She murmured against Bruce's shoulder as he used a free hand to loosen his tie. He could feel her warm breath curling around his exposed neck. The limo began to move.

"No." He said, almost soothingly. "Tim and Dick are going to take over tonight." He glanced down and wished he didn't want to rub her back so much right now.

"How did this happen? I've never done this before."

"Sometimes these things sneak up on us, Princess." She blew a fallen ebony tendril out of her eyes.

"I'm never drinking this much again. The room wouldn't stop spinning."

Bruce chuckled and wondered if he should be taking this much enjoyment out of spending this time with her. No bad guys threatening a city, no technicalities or League business. It was just so easy to be someone else entirely with her. Not Bruce the playboy, not Batman. Someone he couldn't be with anyone but Diana.

She sat up and rested one hand on her knee and put the other against her forehead.

Alarms went off in Bruce's head. "Do we need to stop?"

"No, I'm fine." She put her hand down on her knee, looked up at him and smiled to show she meant it.

Bruce immediately wished this wasn't the last time they were going home together. She was stunning. It was like she was meant for him tonight, like they were supposed to be here together. _But it wasn't_, he reminded himself, this was all chance.

He dropped his eyes from hers. Diana noticed.

After a minute, her quiet voice reached him through the silence. "Why haven't you been around?" She rebuked herself for how desperate the question sounded.

His eyes came back to hers.

"Thing have been busy in Gotham." He said more gruffly than intended.

"From what I have heard, it's been quiet."

"There's nothing to be said, Diana."

He turned to the window and stared at the passing Gotham streets. He didn't want to discuss this with her, but at the same time the intimacy of the conversation was refreshing. Part of him felt like he didn't have to hold back with her – like pretenses didn't exist with Diana.

"I don't understand, Bruce. You can't just leave us like that. It doesn't make sense."

He laughed roughly.

"And when did I start consulting you for how I should live my life?" Diana scowled at his reprimand.

"Do you ever consider the League? Consider how much we rely on you to be there?" Bruce turned his head back to hers. His stare throbbed with disquiet and her thoughts wavered under his scrutiny.

"It sounds like you've been getting on fine without me."

"That's not the point. You're being difficult." She said tersely. "Why would you just pick up and leave?"

He gave no answer.

She inhaled deeply and slowly, the haziness of the alcohol wearing off in light of the conversation. Why did he have this power over her? The power to make her feel like she would do whatever it took to make things right?

"Bruce… There were times I needed you and you weren't there. There were times the rest of the League wasn't enough There were times I felt like you were ignoring me… Just be honest with me. Why have you been gone?" The new tenderness in her tone expressed the ache she was feeling for him. She hesitated at first but placed a warm palm against his cheek.

The tension between them spilled out of the car.

"Diana…" He said with uncertainty, and stopped.

A minute passed before he began again, reconciling his next words would inevitably bind him to a vulnerability she had not seen before.

"That night with Circe, I literally went to hell and back for you. There was something more driving me with that mission than any other. Something I knew I couldn't accept. After we got you back, I wanted to forget everything that had happened. I had to leave."

His eyes bored deeply into hers with meaning.

"I couldn't let you get to me."

He held her stare and briefly licked his lips, waiting for her response.

Her heart ran wild in her chest. She leaned her body towards his and whispered, "Don't. Don't fight it."

The next thing Diana knew, his hands were threading through her hair as he was sighed her name over and over between feverish kisses on her jaw, ear and temple. She responded with equal enthusiasm by running her hands over his chest and hiking up her irritatingly long gown so that she could climb onto his lap and straddle him. His hands unraveled from her hair to come down to rub her bare thighs, eliciting a whimper from her.

Their lips met in a searing rush of passion, long buried for the sake of safety, concern and professionalism. Uninhibited now, their emotions tumbled out of their bodies with every caress, every kiss, every moan. There was nothing but him and her, nothing to want for but fulfilling their basic desires and needs.

It wasn't until the car came to an abrupt halt and they were panting for air that they stopped.

"Are we… at the manor?" Diana rested her head against Bruce's chest as she struggled to breathe. She felt his nod in response. They sat tangled in each other for a few minutes as their breathing returned to normal.

Diana knew a line had been crossed. In spite of her Amazon upbringing, she had no armor against Bruce. She had no preconceived compass on how to act or what to do with him. And perhaps that's why being with him was so easy. She was able to act on what felt right rather than analyze what was best. Yet she wasn't stupid. Diana knew the advantage Bruce had over her and wanted to make her intentions clear before she allowed herself to fully give herself up to him.

"Bruce, I can't just do this. This isn't meaningless to me. I need to know if you really want this. I need to know if you're going anywhere." Her blue orbs met his. She reached for his hand and squeezed it gently. "It's been hard without you around. And seeing you with a different woman tonight added a sting to that void where you once were." Her Amazon fierceness reappeared. "I won't injure myself further by throwing myself at you for one night. I need to know you're not going to be gone in the morning."

Maybe it was their closeness in the car, maybe it was the intimacy of passion they had just revealed to each other. Either way, Bruce felt he owed Diana the same complete honesty she had just given him.

"You know I'm not good at this. There's a reason why I surround myself with disposable women, why Batman works alone. Everything I know says we shouldn't be together." He put his free hand on the back of her neck and began to massage it tenderly. "But I know all the distance in the world couldn't stop me from wanting you."

She stiffened and sat up straighter. There was no need for interpretation. "I'm tired of games. If you want me, tell me you want me. If you want me, you know it won't be easy. But I'm not going anywhere if you're not. It's up to you. Is the sacrifice worth the reward?"

It didn't take long for the World's Greatest Detective to assess the logical pros and cons of the situation. He evaluated every outcome he could think of between being with Diana and asking her to return to the Watchtower right then. But then he stopped analyzing. Analyzing worked in League cases, in tracking the Joker's movements, in making decisions as the CEO of Wayne Enterprises. It did nothing for matters of the heart.

Because analysis had nothing to do with having Diana in his arms at that moment. He knew what he wanted. He knew logically, analytically he could not explain that. It made no sense.

But for the first time he knew it was right.

"I love you. Any sacrifice for you is nothing in the face of that." He moved his hand to stroke her cheek but she took it in her grasp and began kissing his fingers. Her eyes sparkled with true affection he had never seen before. It was a sight he hoped to witness every day from now on.

"I love you too."

* * *

As the sun slinked through the curtains in the master bedroom of Wayne Manor the next morning, Diana stirred in bed. Clouded by the haze between dreams and sleep, she turned onto her side in search of something she wished was there, as she had dreamt many times before. When she felt his warm body against hers, she knew it wasn't a dream after all.

She was awake, and she was home.

* * *

**Thanks for reading. I would love it if you left me a reveiw!**


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